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Reversible thermal switching of aqueous dispersibility of multiwalled carbon nanotubes

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>2/03/2015
<mark>Journal</mark>Chemistry - A European Journal
Issue number10
Volume21
Number of pages4
Pages (from-to)3891-3894
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date29/01/15
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Easily reversible aqueous dispersion/precipitation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been demonstrated using small-molecule non-ionic pyrene-based surfactants, which exhibit lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behaviour. The MWNTs are dispersed by means of non-covalent interactions. The dispersibility can be switched "off" (i.e., MWNTs precipitated) upon heating and switched "on" (i.e., MWNTs re-dispersed) upon cooling and merely swirling the sample at room temperature, that is, under very mild conditions. This effect is also observed under high ionic strength conditions with NaCl in the aqueous phase.